‘Centre not releasing funds for SSA in Bihar’

Patna: The state government on Tuesday slammed
the UPA government for failing to release full share of
funds to Bihar for implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan
(SSA) for the ongoing fiscal year which, it said, reflected
the Centre`s indifference towards the success of the scheme.

Replying to a starred question by the BJP MLA Vinod
Narayan Jha in the assembly, the Education Minister P.K. Shahi
said that the Centre has released only Rs. 1659 crores out of
its full share of Rs. 7040 crores towards the SSA in Bihar in
2011-12.

It appeared that the Centre was indifferent towards
implementation of the scheme aimed at universalization of
education by not releasing its share of allocation to Bihar
for the SSA even at the far end of the present fiscal year, he
said.

The state government has written thrice to the Centre
for release of the central share of funds for the SSA but
to no avail, Shahi said.

The Education minister said that the state government
was committed to contribute its 36 per cent share at Rs. 558
crores to run the SSA in Bihar in 2011-12.

Shahi urged the Centre to provide assistance to Bihar
to put in place basic infrastructure, teacher: student ratio
and classroom: students ratio as mandated under the Right to
Education Act in force since April 2010 for which the state
will be required to spend Rs. 25,000 crores.

There will a recurring annual expenditure of Rs.
12,000 crores in the state to fulfil and maintain parameters
under the RTE Act in Bihar, he said.